Wayne LaPierre Questioned On $540,000 Worth Of Travel Expenses
BY Herschel Smith4 years, 10 months ago
National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre charged the organization’s ad agency more than $240,000 for expenses related to trips he took to Italy, Hungary, the Bahamas and other locales without providing adequate documentation, according to a letter from the ad agency given to the group’s board last week and described by people familiar with the matter.
Some of Mr. LaPierre’s expenses were charged to one of the ad firm’s credit cards, the people said, and overall costs included a 2014 stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Budapest and expenses related to trips to Palm Beach, Fla., and Reno, Nev. The ad firm, Ackerman McQueen Inc., was reimbursed over time by the gun-rights group, these people said.
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Mr. Brewer said certain fundraising and travel expenses were routed through Ackerman McQueen for “confidentiality and security purposes,” but the practice has since been modified. Mr. LaPierre didn’t return messages left at the NRA.
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The Journal previously reported that Mr. LaPierre received more than $200,000 in suits and other clothing paid for by a vendor—which people familiar with the matter now say was also Ackerman McQueen. NRA officials have said the spending was justified because of his numerous speaking and TV appearances.
The Ackerman McQueen letter was given to the NRA directors last week by then-NRA President Oliver North, who called for a crisis committee of the board to probe the travel costs and other allegations of financial mismanagement.
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In a statement Thursday, NRA director Marion Hammer said the travel-expense allegations were “part of the failed coup attempt” and have been properly vetted by the board.
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The trip to Italy, one person familiar with the matter said, was tied to a short 2015 documentary feature on the Italian gun maker Beretta posted on NRATV. Mr. LaPierre’s wife, Susan LaPierre, appears in the video talking to a Beretta family member.
Marion Hammer is a horrible person and whatever she says should be dismissed. As for travel expenses, I actually don’t have a problem with the corporation paying for that. Virtually no one can afford that kind of travel, and as long as it’s on corporate business, the corporation should pay for it (excepting, of course, for Wayne’s wife). In my opinion, time spent on trying to understand every little detail of travel expenses, except insofar as it requires receipts for accounting and tax purposes, is time and effort wasted by the board or its surrogate.
But what I do have a problem with is $200,000 for clothing. The failure of the NRA isn’t a failure to keep receipts – that’s just in the details of internal management, even if it needs correction. The failure of the NRA is in a failure to represent the gun owners of America, in fact, in its active attempt to undermine the gun owners of America. That goes for Marion Hammer and the rest of the BOD too.
I’ll tell you what. I would agree to that salary with one business suit per year, and I’ll promise not to pathologically retreat, surrender, give up, and equivocate on everything that comes up.
And in the end, the NRA would be better off. So would gun owners.
On May 5, 2019 at 10:12 pm, 41mag said:
NRA is just a fundraising machine.
Nothing else
On May 6, 2019 at 8:47 am, Fred said:
Better oil up that shredder, Wayne.
On May 6, 2019 at 11:42 am, billrla said:
None of this passes the sniff test. None.
On May 6, 2019 at 11:43 am, DAN III said:
ALCON,
If you care to see the greed within the PTB @ NRA do an Internet search for NRA Form 990. It is a IRS reporting form for annual financial statements by “non-profit” organizations.
The greed by LaPierre, Cox and Hammer is indicative of the corruption within the NRA and the fedgov in general. It has become a disease permeating every aspect of private & public life in the fUSA.
Who does one trust any longer ?
On May 6, 2019 at 3:01 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
With his irresponsible behavior, National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre is playing right into the hands of the anti-gun crowd. He is as corrupt as they come, enriching himself at the expense of ordinary Americans and 2A supporters everywhere. To the detriment of our God-given rights, one might add. Why then should we lift a finger to save him, or the organization he heads? What has he or the NRA done to materially advance the rights and liberties of ordinary Americans who wish to KBA?
On May 6, 2019 at 6:55 pm, June J said:
LaPierre is surrounded and protected by a board of sycophants who worship at the altar of the great and powerful Oz.
On May 7, 2019 at 2:41 pm, Sanders said:
Neal Knox and Harlan Carter called it correctly so many years ago, and they were castigated for it.